Forums on lockdown

[tthurman]

I'm not sure what to think, but when things get back to normal, well it's going to be quite different I think.

The fall in the Fall of 2008 looked really grim too, something I'm not sure we learned a great deal from, as it seems we just recovered to find ourselves with lower paying jobs and the same ole same ole everything else. 

Here in the states the divide is real, it's big, ugly and full of hate.  It's a ticking bomb and I fear something like the current situation or recurrence is going to push it over the edge.

[Tom Speirs]

There is no real solution unfortunately. Either everyone is miserable and poor or some are not. I prefer the later. As most do, we just differ on the slider. Don't get confused by the freedom/liberty thing though. Its really not an issue for most anymore. At least anyone with access to this site Still, I feel pretty strongly about people who want to tell me how to live my life and that is why I swing more to the right and America has that right where others don't. I am more free to be "myself" there than here.

[Draco1962]

I make no bones about my version of conservatism, which is not lockstep with most. I am a white heterosexual male, yet comfortable enough in my sexuality to call it into question to get someone else's goat. I don't care whom you dip your wick in or how -  just love one another, but don't be a flame. I love and believe in God, yet curse like a sailor most days. I believe that I demonstrate my faith by trying to be the blessing my family and friends need at the time. I sincerely believe God has a wry sense of humor - platypus anyone?

Yeah, I am with @tthurman on the lack of lessons learned from 2007-2008 and see that employers will use this opportunity to prune their payrolls and will rehire to the lowest hourly rate that the market will tolerate.

Societal divisions are deep in the states with a lot of pent up frustration and axes to grind. Many go back to before the two terms of the former POTUS and the current fans the flames with every irresponsible tweet.

[Tom Speirs]

14 minutes ago, Draco1962 said:

Societal divisions are deep in the states with a lot of pent up frustration and axes to grind. Many go back to before the two terms of the former POTUS and the current fans the flames with every irresponsible tweet.

Lets be honest, it just kind of tends to be brushed under the carpet and always has been.

[Draco1962]

I think there are some things that were ignored, for certain. I think we also have a new generation that is trying to right the wrongs for some of those things, but have a stronger sense of entitlement and expectations that the wrongs must be righted immediately, but no clue to the complexities involved in changing a country's collective mind. Yelling and throwing public tantrums ensue, further obscuring the issues they are trying to promote. Eventually the issues become buried once again, festering like an ingrown hair. 

[Tom Speirs]

That is poetry

[tthurman]

This shit has gotten way to "On Topic"

We now return you to your regularly scheduled program, already in progress...

 

 

 

[tthurman]

 

[RIP-Felix]

The American Civil war was neither American nor Civil. And it never stopped! It just became political, social, and global. The division runs deep and always has, because ultimately it the same old class war. Those who have, and those who work...clashing over income inequality. We're just swinging again toward a tipping point where the concentration of wealth and power gets too high to sustain a society. It happens to everyone eventually. It's just happening on a global scale now, hinging on the most stable form of currency and the illusion of value backing it. Once the illusion breaks, the "haves" will have nothing just like the rest of us.

No one is immune from the effects of global economic collapse. Not in a world economy controlled by wealthy, powerful, greedy, arrogant elitists who believe in their own legend. Especially not the wealthy, powerful, greedy, arrogant elitists who believe in their own legend. Those who have nothing and are used to it have less to loose. Let the politicians, kings and rulers, the billionaires and heirs have their contentious podium. While they bicker among themselves, I'll be focused on my next paycheck and helping my community. When the paychecks stop the community will carry me as I do what I can to repay the favor. Money isn't necessary, giving of ourselves freely is. If you're able to help and you don't, civilization has no use for you.

The only thing that has remained constant in the history of human civilization is that civilization is necessary for survival. Don't go alone. Don't get expelled. Stay connected! Stay grounded to what's really important - Unity. Don't get hung up on money or politics, ideologies, or preferences. Give others their dignity, respect their autonomy. That's how you build community and stand united - with tolerance. Intolerance puts you on the outside. Intolerance divides, tolerance unites. Those principals extend beyond these states, "the wall", and the oceans that separate us. They matter more than our petty differences and arbitrary lines on maps. There is no us and them...it's just us traveling through space on this ship we call earth.

And that's not hippie bullshit, it's a fucking fact!...[No, that's to divisive]....Let me put it this way, when you come to my house it doesn't matter if you lean left or right. The floor is perfectly level. The only thing making you lean is the brew! I ain't gonna stop you from enjoying yourself, that's your decision. Just like it's my decision not invite your insolent ass back if you offend my guests and break my stuff in a drunken rage (you par-TAY animal)! To each the dignity of their own decisions, complete with consequences that result from conflict. It's the price paid for such freedoms. BTW: I'm not picky about apologies. I don't care if it's half assed or grunted through baird teeth, I know how hard it can be to overcome pride and shame, if you shake my hand your welcome back. Axe buried! Just control yo-self next time!

 

[tthurman]

Well said, but damn there you go getting things all serious after I "attempted" to lighten the load a little.  It's a heavy burden, but somebody's gotta do it

[Tom Speirs]

2 hours ago, tthurman said:

Well said, but damn there you go getting things all serious after I "attempted" to lighten the load a little.  It's a heavy burden, but somebody's gotta do it

Hehe. That's what I thought!

(Stay safe guys).

[stigzler]

btw - have any of you played Divinity Original Sin 2? tbh - I've just gotten so bored of games over the past few years - even the triple A titles feel banal and unoriginal (RDR2, GOW etc etc). I very rarely finish them. However, been playing this game and it's absolutely phenomenal! Very excited to find such an original and well executed game. As a consequence, looking forward to Baldurs Gate 3 (although haven't played the others). 

Maybe it's cos I'm getting old and I prefer turn based cos of my old man hands. 

[RIP-Felix]

1 hour ago, stigzler said:

...Maybe it's cos I'm getting old and I prefer turn based cos of my old man hands. 

Maybe not, Bluetooth controllers, TVs, and modern consoles have much input latency inherent than did older consoles. Games have to be designed in such a way to make platforming easier when you can't predict accurately when the character will jump (for example). It's not just that your getting old and need turn based games to have fun, it's partly that fast paced action that relies on skills gained through muscle memory and hand eye coordination have not been possible to the same degree they used to be - until most recently. PC monitors with 1ms 144Hz have been capable enough for years, but only recently have TVs gotten their input latency down to acceptable levels (under 30ms). The games will start to catch up as the TV technology standardizes around low latency and high refresh rates.

My wish list for next gen consoles was 2.4GHz wireless controllers (no Bluetooth option). They have superior input latency and less swing in unpredictability. Banning laggier controllers allows Game designers to assume everyone is using tight controls and get back to designing muscle memory and skill into games. That and finally getting to at least 120Hz refresh rates (preferably 144Hz). Those 2 things will greatly improve the lag situation.

But the console gaming market appears to still be chasing video gains through 4K and Ray-Tracing. Good luck affording a video card that can do both at anywhere near 120Hz, let alone a console. We're still a ways off from that. At least Nintendo understands that video quality is secondary to the overall experience. They sacrificed 1080p on the switch (which is actually is 900p) so they could make it portable. They even went back to the more expensive (less profitable) flash media, for the design. Bold moves that alienate 3rd party development. There's plenty to dislike about Nintendo, but they do tend to prioritize innovations and game-play over photo-realism. That's something I agree with.

[tthurman]

It's usually hard to fault Nintendo's hardware decisions as the end product typically is a well balanced mix, which tends to check a lot of boxes.  It's just the way the do their customers with their self invoked "product shortages" to create mass chaos in the market.  I sometimes wonder how much they lose do to this nonsense, but their obviously content with the results.

[RIP-Felix]

On 4/23/2020 at 5:36 PM, tthurman said:

 I sometimes wonder how much they lose do to this nonsense, but their obviously content with the results.

My guess is that perceived scarcity actually motivates people who are on the fence to buy sooner rather than later. It could too be that they've made the business decision that it's better to underestimate demand and have to ramp up production in batches when they have a hit (like we see with the Switch), instead of having inventory they cannot sell or store when they've got a dud on their hands. Basically they shift the inconvenience onto the customers. We'll put up with whatever shenanigans as long as they keep making great consoles and games...and they know it.